Jamaican judge to discuss his international career in law, human rights May 13

Jamaican Judge Patrick Robinson, president of the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, will reflect on his career in international law and human rights in a speech at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13, in Thornton Auditorium of Terrence Murphy Hall on the University of St. Thomas’ Minneapolis campus.

Judge Patrick Robinson

The presentation, followed by a question-and-answer segment, is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. For reservations email linkjaminn@gmail.com. C.L.E. credits have been applied for. A reception follows.

The International Criminal Tribunal, an ad hoc court in The Hague, Netherlands, was established to prosecute serious crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia, and to try their perpetrators.

Robinson is the first guest speaker in the “JaMinn with” series hosted by JaMinn Link, a group of young professionals and students from Jamaica who now live in Minnesota. The group aims to promote the development and growth of the Jamaican community here and to educate Minnesotans about Jamaica’s impact in the world community. St. Thomas’ International Law Association co-sponsors Robinson’s talk.

Robinson, who oversaw the historic trial of Yugoslavian President Slobadan Milosevic on charges of genocide, also chaired the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, served on the International Law Commission and the International Bioethics Committee, was a foreign member of the Haiti Truth and Justice Commission and chaired the U.N. Commission on Transnational Corporations.

A lifelong sports enthusiast, Robinson also is author of “Jamaican Athletics – A Model for 2012 and the World” (Arcadia Books, 2009), in which he explores reasons for Jamaica’s high-quality performances in world competition over the past 60 years.